


Zealots and Things

by PiraticalNonsense



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2012-05-18
Updated: 2012-08-29
Packaged: 2017-11-05 14:49:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,024
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/407654
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PiraticalNonsense/pseuds/PiraticalNonsense
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Severus isn't human and his future will shape the end of the war. Totally not following the books at all, and written at God-forsaken hours, I love the Harry Potter fandom, don't you?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> On a whim and a dare, I chose to take on the ultimate challenge. Severus Snape is going to be entirely OOC at times, but I promise I tried my best to make it as painless as possible. So just a few warnings, for those who can't stand certain changes to characters:  
> Severus is part beast, a mix of animals with no origin of actual myth. Hagrid gets angry with the kiddies. I mean he's only (half) human right? It's bound to happen, so don't look at me like that. Along with the anger theme, Severus may "overly" lose his anger during certain parts; I determined that with the environment, circumstances, and changes done to him he was bound to act this (coughbadass) ridiculous in some circumstances. I did intentionally veer away from the original story, so if I have anything wrong (like the name of a location or a number, ect), please feel free to private message or comment me so I may repair the damages (unless of course they were intentional, but I think you'll know if they were). I thank you all for reading, and I hope it's to your liking!

As summer progressed, the trees around the edge of the dark forest seemed to brighten and twist towards the light, flowers and grasses began to protest the sudden heat, and the forest's inhabitants were spotted more and more frequently. The merpeople in the lake were coming up more and more often to lie on the hollowed out alcoves, and naturally borne beaches that lined the castle's edge too. Hogwarts was, as always, truly gorgeous to behold. She shimmered in the light, each magically placed shingle and brick seemed to create its own beaming rays, the stained glass windows portaying her earlier days and birth, and the lawns and surrounding fields so lovingly manicured displaying the change of generations and progress.

While there were many people that could see the beauty and appreciate it for what it was, few were privy to the knowledge of just, exactly how dark these lands were. Magic as old as time, as cloaked in shadow as black holes, and as powerful as life itself was rooted into the soil. It was stored and recycled in each flower and every patch of grass that covered all the land within a dozen megametres of the plot itself. Many of the former Headmasters had explicitly forbid anyone from removing what would be "property" from the grounds, fearing that dark wizards would be created by latching onto the foreign power. Of course, the rules set only prompted the mischevious to try harder, and Albus decided that the old trick of drawing the eye away from something of interest was best done by making it uninteresting. Of course, not everone would follow the tracks he'd set.

Rubeus Hagrid had an incredible power within him- to channel earth magic, an ancient form of power only beast races normally had access to- and had been the first to draw Albus' eye. The Headmaster had never considered that sons and daughters of the forest may be impervious to his well-meaning, but deceiving spells (both of the tongue and the wand). He had begun taking a special interest in the young, and admittedly large man. At times he would invite the teenager into his office to have a cup of tea and on days it seemed things were going particularily wrong, he would follow Rubeus while cloaking himself with invisibility and obscuring spells.

Despite the popular belief that he was not at all learned, and was rather slow, Rubeus Hagrid proved himself to be a superb student and an excellent listener. He would help his friends resolve their problems and defuse fights with simple suggestions and even simpler words. His height and girth didn't hinder his plight either, in fact, it only drew more attention to him. Rubeus, being the shy boy he was, would blush and stammer; Shy or not, he still impacted the student body strongly. He more than once proved himself a Gryffindor by rescuing and nursing animals that he had found in the Forbidden Forest back to health.

Albus had found that turning a blind eye to a good thing was usually beneficial to all involved; This had proven him correct, in allowing that he had access to Aragog and her nest later in the years, and at the time had proven Rubeus to be the perfect Grounds Keeper that he- Albus had been searching for. After all, Argus had his hands full just as the Keeper of the Keys and as the handy man of Hogwarts. His load would be lifted entirely and everyone would be pleased as punch if there was someone to help keep the Grounds tame.

The circumstances in which Hagrid was able to recieve the position were perfectly timed, though negative could not even begin to describe the situation. To the day he died, Albus swore to himself that he did indeed believe Hagrid had been innocent at the time of his accusal for assistance to murder and releasing a hazard into the school. None-the-less, Albus was ecstatic at having the man put on staff, and knowing that giants had naturaly long lives (usually double the lifespan of wizards), the Headmaster reassured himself that Hagrid would be around long after his own passing.

Yes, it was all falling so magnificently into place. Of course, there were small gimmicks that still caused problems. Namely the dark magic that continuously and endlessly consumed the land. Not all ancient magics were bad, but as he had once discovered, magic would grow wild when left on its own, and after centuries with no master, Hogwarts' precious grounds would never belong to anyone but the residents of the forest.

With that in mind, Dumbledore often feared that the land may call to his less-than-human students. Hagrid and his race responded to the change of seasons not unlike a bear. If it was warm he was out, if it was cold he would sleep. The magic itself had little to no effect on the man, and living close to the forest only seemed to respond positively. He was strong and healthy, and hadn't been sick once since his moving into the hut. Other beast races, however, would not be as easy going and it was with a heavy heart he began watching the few students at the school who strove for normalcy while they hid their differences.

It was within two decades of Hagrid's initiation to Hogwarts and its staff that Severus Snape walked through the halls of the castle. As the boy nervously stepped forward to be placed, Albus felt unparalleled power shifting about the great hall. His first thought was that a powerful wizard had entered the castle, and his second was "it has to be the hat, it just isn't possible". The boy was leaking energy just as quickly as he was storing it up. With each magical fluxuation Albus could feel his stomach tightening into knots. Powerful wizards were often led astray, and sometimes the forest liked to take the lead in destruction. He looked calmly at his staff and was astounded to see none of them gawking. It appeared no one felt or noticed the raw magical release at all.

At the call of "Slytherin", Albus' heart sank and he turned to look back at the dark haired boy. He knew he had his work cut out for him.

Within the coming years, the Headmaster had asked Hagrid to keep a special eye on little Severus. It was obvious that the boy was different and that he was breathing in and storing the magic from the earth. Outwardly he appeared entirely human, and when Hogwarts' files were ransacked by Madame Pince, she reported that there was little to nothing recorded. His entire folder consisted of a copy of his invitation to attend the school, a card of paper that had his name, magical seal, and House written on it, and finally a packet of School Progression. After reviewing the contents, Albus determined that the boy was probably subject to bullies and indeed his every feature from height to hair colour made him the perfect target. It was so blatently obvious that he was different in comparison to his peers. Interestingly he already seemed to have his adult features, a strong chin and a large nose. His most catching attribute though, was his eyes. They watched the room with a look passing behind them that reminded Albus of a wild animal backed into a corner. The boy, he had heard, came from unpleasant marriage, and with more investigation he had found that young Severus was a Prince. 

The Princes were a prominent pure-blooded wizarding family that were as powerful as the Malfoys, but poor choices and harsh consequences had drawn them away from the spotlight and into poverty. The last known gossip was revolved around Eileen Prince's wedlockeded child. Albus had called it pish posh at the time, but this seemed to only solidify the rumours. The only thing that he could not understand was the choice in marriage and the power within the boy. They didn't seem to match up. It was obvious Severus was no longer part of the Prince generation, and Snape was not a wizarding name Albus had ever heard in his own lifetime. The first conclusion he had come to was possesion, but the hat would have noticed and alerted him. Could it be that his magic had only just been released that day? It was a slim chance but- but he still felt the magic oozing out the boy's pores every time he wandered near. 

Albus decided that the little charade had gone on long enough and had summoned Severus to his office after the dinner period the night after his discoveries. The boy had sat primly on the other side of the desk. His usual haughty expression in place and eyes just as stealy as ever. Albus smiled and offered sweets which were declined, then he served tea. He noticed the negected cup in Severus' hand, as if he did not trust the man not to poison it. Silently, he probed the boys mind, and found an odd barrier had been erected. A child Occlumens? It was just not possible. There were too many loose ends. Albus gently pushed past the weakened barriers and roved through the pliant mind. Dark memories filled his visions, a childhood in which he could only imagine previously played before his eyes. It seemed that the rumour Eileen Prince had married a muggle were true and it seemed Tobias Snape was not afraid to hit a lady, nor beat a child either.

The only other memory that stood out among the others was of Severus looking into the mirror, staring at his eyes and watching the pupils move. Or at least trying to. Albus only realised that he was just as focused as the memory-Severus when a hand pushed through his chest surprising them both. As it touched the dark haired boy's shoulder, his shock was so sudden that he released magical whiplash causing the mirror to crack and shatter. Eileen seemed prepared and had the mess cleaned and the cuts dealt with swiftly.

Gently she pulled him down the stairs and placed him sitting on the old couch that sat in their dim parlour. Albus watched curiously at the interaction. The boy in school touched no one, and as far as his home life was concerned, it seemed thus far that even Eileen was reluctant to lay a hand on her son. It was odd that she would be so tender and affectionate so suddenly.

She held him for a moment before reaching through his hair and pulling out long black, almost rabbit-like ears from underneath the tangled mop. She gently raked through his hair with her fingers and when it was straightened to her liking she tucked the fuzzy appendages back under the dark strands. If the light had been any darker, Albus would not have been able to see them, the fur had been almost the complete colour tone as the rest of Severus' black hair. It was no wonder the boy didn't tie it back or do better to straighten it. He was sure that on plenty occassions he had seen him yanking frustratedly at the locks- now he understood that it was more an act of discretion than his laziness in keeping it tidy or an odd habit that made it look even more unruly.

He pulled out of the memory suddenly to confront the student who sat obliviously in front of him, blissfully unaware that his mind had just been waded through and his privacy had been destroyed.

"Mister Snape," Dumbledore began cautiously, "can you tell me, what blood is within you."

He expected a panicked look but all he recieved were those same dull eyes that regarded teachers in the classroom, as if he had heard something one to many times. 

"I'm a half blood." he ground out through his clenched teeth, and after a pause, "My father is a muggle and my mother is a witch."

Albus nodded. If he played his cards right, all would end well, if not he would have a catastrophy on his hands. Steepling his fingers, he looked over his glasses at the boy who sat so straight in his chair.

"Your mother has informed of much about you, Mister Snape." He gave him a meaning full look, making sure the boy watched the old man's eyes move to top of his head.

Severus paled a bit but held his blank expression, Albus had to hand it to the child, he certainly did hold his own ground in fights he was bound to lose. Almost like a Gryffindor, but then again, he was sure that if he were to look into Severus' mind, he would see plans and tactics working through him. A facade of courage to stand to his favour. The boy was bound for awesome things.

"I see."

"Would you care to show me?"

There was a long pause in which Albus inwardly worried that Severus would find it too odd a request and see through a very paper-thin lie, but after a few moments he awkwardly reached through his hair and pulled the ears out, a wince of pain indicating that something unatural was about the act. In an attempt to be helpful Albus asked if there were any modifications or spells done to Severus' ears. He was met with the hardest look he had ever recieved and was slightly taken aback that a child could act so forward. Still Albus acted as if the question was not out of line.

"Band around the base gives the illusion of these," he touched his human ears and only after the indication did Albus realise how different they looked. It was a strong spell, one weaved with time and years of practice. It was good enough not to be noticable even to him, so he had a good idea of how powerful the Prince daughter was. Albus asked if Severus would remove the band, and the probing look returned. It was only the second time around that he realised Severus was trying to use legilimancy. Quite a bold move, Albus thought, and he inwardly wondered who had taught him the art.

Indeed, it turned out there was a small band wrapped around the base of one of the real ears, it was a close enough colour to the fur it hid in, but was still slightly off. Carefully Severus unwrapped it and Albus watched as the human ears on either side of the boy's face disolved into thin air and a light patch of fur trailed into his hair line. Curiously, the dark appendages perked up on their own and lifted to point towards the ceiling. Severus' hearing must have improved at least twenty fold as he looked alarmed around the room. So much seemed to be catching his attention, including Fawkes' preening.

"Mister Snape," Albus said quietly, and watched as the round eyes flew to him, "Nothing in this room will harm you nor attempt to. You are in no danger here."

It was in that moment that Albus realised he had earned the boy's trust. To solidify it, he taught Severus a spell that would keep the ears unviewable to all and allow them to sit naturally atop his head. When Severus asked about his human appearance, Albus promised he would include an illusion spell in his miniature lesson. Severus being the bright boy he was picked up the wand movement and casting structure in one go, he also easily memorised the words, happily ending a part of his life that had always caused him great fear and pain.

Despite the new skills acquired, Albus requested Severus take the illusion infused band with him "in case an emergency arises". He promised they would speak again soon, and Albus watched in amazement as he saw Severus smile before walking out of the office and to his dorm. Albus thought carefully of all that had transpired as he allowed Hagrid entry to his office. The half-giant was talking about James Potter, Remus Lupin, Serius Black, and Petter Pettigrew again. The self proclaimed Marauders were spending an unhealthy amount of time around the Whomping Willow apparently, but it was unimportant student hi-jinx. He thanked Hagrid for speaking his concerns and kindly dismissed him only to realise the Grounds Keeper was stalling.

"Yes, Hagrid, what is it?"

"Er, I've been wonderin' 'bout young Sev'rus Snape."

Albus folded his hands and dropped them to his lap, "Oh? Why is that?"

"Well, not ta seem nosy or rude, but he seems a mite..." Hagrid trailed off, and Albus waited patiently to see if Hagrid would bring up anything about the connection to the earth magic and the forest. When the silence continued, he cleared his throat and Hagrid uttered his apologies before trying to shuffle out of the office. Aafter offering his thanks again, the door was closed magically. 

Fawkes crowed loudly, and Albus absent-mindedly ran a hand down the bird's back. How long would it take before people began noticing, he wondered.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A brief history lesson is given, and thus the story begins.

The young Slytherin boy that had previously stalked the dungeons now roamed the halls with a lighter step. Albus had been reluctant to teach a child how to use such a powerful glamour, but instinct told him that it would be for everyone's benefit if something of this magnitude was properly hidden. Having the trust of a boy that was so much on the outside he could easily slip around the castle without anyone's notice proved useful if not tedious. He could easily manipulate Severus into talking about things he had heard and turn the child's attention towards more important groups of students. It was like having a spy inside the school. Severus had become his eyes and ears to Slytherin House.

The boy was completely unaware of what he was bringing to the Headmaster. Information about Tom Riddle was often spoken upon freely in the Slytherin common rooms. Lord Voldemort, as he had come to call himself, was the pure blood's threat to their other house mates, and was the personal hero to the many sympathisers both muggle-born and pure. The propaganda Severus reported was often times ourageous, and the inner House wars were becoming dangerous. Luckily his little spy remained safe since he had managed to gain the attention of the young and vibrant Lucius Malfoy. 

Severus had already admitted that Lucius was the one who brought in new information about Lord Voldemort, always telling them of his plans, great deeds, ideas, and whatever other swot he was taught to recite. Albus had begun to worry Severus might be lulled into Lucius' grip, but he knew that with every morning Severus recast his glamour he was thanking Dumbledore. 

It was during Severus' fifth year that things began to go downhill. James Potter and his friends began targeting Severus with a vengeance, and Albus found he was forced to favour the self proclaimed Mauraders over his spy simply because he could not be seen treating the Slytherin student any differently. If other Slytherin children began noticing the changing disposition they would begin watching Severus just as much as they did their rivals in Gryffindor. If they were watching Severus, he could no longer be Albus' spy. 

It was with each decision he made in punishing Severus and rewarding the Gryffindor children that he felt Severus' trust in him breaking. It was almost palpable, each crack that snapped along their fragile bond. He could hear it when the boy would be dismissed, see it in the way he walked. Even after his attributes sharpened, his eye's pupils becoming slits (a very popular and well known attribute to half-bloods and creatures of the forest) and his teeth becoming sharper and pointed, Albus found that Severus was able to expand the glamour on his own and maintain it with no assistance. His spy was becoming independant. 

Albus often found himself regretting that he taught Severus how to cast the glamour, wishing instead that he had been the one to cast it himself. Keeping a stronger hold on his little informant would have ensured that even with the constant favouring towards Potter, Lupin, Pettigrew, and Black that Severus would return to him always. The boy was too bright though, too powerful. He was aided by the forest's magic and his very real genius. With dismay, Albus conceded that Severus would have found a way to protect himself and his secrets on his own, whether Albus had intervened or not. Regrets and wishes could not change the past and it was with a heavy heart he overheard the tale James Potter spun; saving Severus Snape from the jaws of death which he was accidentily led to by Sirius Black. 

The fury is Severus' eyes told Albus that should he choose them again, should he punish Severus and reward the Gryffindor crew, he would permenantly lose his alliance. And with great remorse, he did. 

The trust between them was shattered and no longer did Severus Snape come to him. More often than not, the boy was forced up to his office as punishment for his increasingly violent behaviour. Fighting against James Potter and Sirius Black, Albus wondered if he made the right choice. In losing Severus' trust and tentative friendship he had gained nothing but a handful of trouble. Trouble that he knew to be naturally gifted in magic and growing to be a very powerful Dark wizard. 

By his Seventh Year, Albus only had one meeting through the year with Severus, and in it he had only spoken one sentence that chilled Albus to the bone, "Powerful wizards are banding together for change, you would be wise to join them." 

The petty urge to threaten exposure of Severus' anomalies crossed Albus' mind and he angrily stuffed the idea away. He refused to drop to such a level when there was the possibility to restore their bond. Naively, he wondered if he could convince Severus that what he was doing was wrong, and instead he should return to their previously struck arrangement. It seemed almost impossible though, Lucius Malfoy had begun drawing in his latest catch and Dumbledore watched with sharp eyes as the blond tightened his hold with false niceties. It was almost too easy. Albus feared for the boy and when he did try to reach out and touch his mind, try to see where the boy was at mentally, he was met with some of the strongest Occlumens shields in his life. Going about it the physical way proved to have just as many barriers. When the young man evaded every invitation, continuously and coldly closed off all offers to talk, and went out of his way to avoid Dumbledore, it was only then that he realised Severus would only return should a disaster happen. Inwardly he prayed to whatever higher beings that be to not let it all come to such a painful lesson. 

It took five short years for Dumbledore to be informed that his pleas were ignored. 

It was on a cold and vile night that a young man of twenty three dropped to his knees before the old Headmaster. He was ready to sacrifice anything, everything. He was willing to forfeit his life is only Albus would listen. Albus remembered this boy, who he had once been and who he had slowly become. A metamorphises all of Albus' design. The glamour dropped and everything that Severus had stood against was revealed. With a heavy sigh he braced himself for the darkness that resided within the beast's mind, and the human's heart. He invaded the Potions Master's every memory and thought. He broke down the walls of an experienced Occlumens and he watched every moment of his new and old spy's life play out before his eyes. Once he was truly satisfied with what he saw, he opened his arms and in a gesture of peace and acceptance. 

Then he brought the frail creature he had found back to Hogwarts, the origin of all disasters.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Special thanks to a friend who caught my mathematical fluke in the last chapter. (Those were some dangerous kilometres. /laughs obnoxiously)


End file.
